What VOICE Buffalo does

VOICE Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organizing organization founded in 1994 and headquartered at 2495 Main St. Suite 547 in Buffalo, New York. Its mission is to advance racial justice and equity in Western New York through political education and organized collective action, serving Black, Brown, immigrant, youth, poor, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ community members. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the ARISE Committee for disability rights, the Youth Action Collaborative for ages 14-30, Healing Circles for returning citizens, the Free Our Comrades wrongful conviction initiative, the Midnight Basketball League for youth violence prevention, and the Community Responders non-police crisis response program. It also convenes policy coalitions including Clean Slate NY, Communities Not Cages, and the Daniel's Law Coalition, with measurable legislative outcomes such as the 2023 Clean Slate Act affecting 2.3 million New Yorkers.

The organization employs 1-10 staff (3 named staff roles including Executive Director, Data/Systems/Communications Organizer, and Operations & Communications Manager) and is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors. There is no proprietary technology platform; the organization's intellectual capital resides in its three-decade base of community relationships, coalition convening ability, and policy advocacy methodology rather than in software or data assets.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit funding model: tax-deductible individual donations, corporate sponsorship packages tiered from $2,500 (Believer) to $25,000 (Change Maker), membership dues providing voice and vote at the Annual Members Meeting, merchandise sales via the Bonfire platform, and donations through donor-advised funds at Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and BNY Mellon. Past corporate sponsors span banking (M&T Bank, Key Bank Foundation), retail (Wegmans, Tops Market), healthcare (Catholic Health, Community Health Center of Buffalo, Endeavor Health), labor (SEIU 1199), and nonprofit sectors. The organization does not publicly disclose revenue figures and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or funding rounds recorded.

Name

VOICE Buffalo

Legal name

Voice Buffalo

Website

https://voicebuffalo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VOICE Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Buffalo, New York that organizes Black, Brown, and marginalized communities in Western New York for racial justice, disability rights, criminal legal reform, and youth violence prevention through coalitions, direct programs, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Social Justice Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)

Keywords

• Community organizing services
• Social justice advocacy
• Civic engagement programs
• Criminal legal reform
• Disability rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting racial justice and equity work in Western New York. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Membership Dues: Members pay dues to join and receive voice and vote in organization decisions, advocacy opportunities, and member events.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship packages ranging from $2,500 (Believer) to $25,000 (Change Maker) with benefits including logo placement, social media recognition, annual report recognition, and volunteer opportunities.
4. Merchandise Sales: VOICE merchandise sold through Bonfire platform; proceeds fund programs and services.
5. Donor Advised Funds: Accepts donations through donor-advised funds from Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and BNY Mellon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

VOICE Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes communities for racial justice, civic engagement, disability rights, healing justice, and criminal legal reform in Western New York. It delivers a portfolio of programs — including the ARISE disability rights committee, Youth Action Collaborative, Healing Circles, Community Responders, Free Our Comrades, the Midnight Basketball League, and the Street Certified reentry program — alongside coalition-based policy advocacy and voter education.

Product overview

VOICE Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a community organizing and advocacy hub rather than a traditional product company. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives focused on racial justice and equity in Western New York. Core offerings include community organizing and advocacy services, the ARISE Committee (disability rights), Youth Action Collaborative (youth civic engagement), Healing Circles (reentry support), Community Responders (non-police crisis response), Free Our Comrades (wrongful conviction advocacy), and the Midnight Basketball League (youth violence prevention). Supporting infrastructure includes membership programs, corporate sponsorship opportunities, voter education/GOTV efforts, and the Street Certified program for reentry support. The organization bridges community organizing, civic engagement, and transformative justice through coalitions of youth leaders, returning citizens, disability advocates, policy advocates, and local officials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARISE Committee: A committee focused on disability rights and advocacy, believing that people with disabilities should have a voice in decisions that directly impact their lives.
• Youth Action Collaborative (YAC)
• Healing Circles
• Community Responders
• Free Our Comrades
• Midnight Basketball League

Products and services

• Community Organizing & Advocacy
• ARISE Committee (A.R.I.S.E. WNY)
• Youth Action Collaborative (YAC)
• Healing Circles
• Community Responders
• Free Our Comrades
• Midnight Basketball League
• Opportunity 4 Community Campaign
• Clean Slate Act Advocacy
• Voter Education & GOTV
• Street Certified Program
• Membership Program
• Disability Justice Resource Guide
• Corporate Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Clean Slate Act signed into law affecting 2.3 million New Yorkers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered program, campaign and coalition.

• Rich ProductsprogramGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram sponsor for Midnight Basketball League initiative supporting youth in Buffalo.
• City of Buffalo Common Council (Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope)programGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram sponsor for Midnight Basketball League through city council support.
• M&T BankprogramGTM or Marketing PartnerGreen sponsor for Midnight Basketball League supporting youth programming.
• Catholic HealthcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign advocating for $10 million in youth services funding.
• Fostering GreatnesscampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Galactic TribecampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign. Organization promoting Afro-futurism among children.
• Lt. Col Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNYcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Project Mona's HousecampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• NYS Charter School AssociationcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Partnership for the Public GoodcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Pax Christi NYcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Polish Community Center of Buffalo, Inc.campaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• RealTalkcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• Unitarian Universalist Church of AmherstcampaignStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsing partner for Opportunity 4 Community campaign.
• L'Arche BuffaloprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Disability Justice Workshop planning as part of ARISE committee work.
• Neurodiversity Network of WNYprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Disability Justice Workshop planning as part of ARISE committee work.
• Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS)programStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Disability Justice Workshop planning and resource development as part of ARISE committee work.
• Daniel's Law CoalitioncoalitionStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working to change response to people experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Achieved $2 million allocation in state budget.
• Communities Not CagescoalitionStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition fighting to decarcerate New York prisons, interrupt prosecutor power, and build power of impacted communities.
• Clean Slate NYcoalitionStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for automatic record sealing. Clean Slate Act signed into law affecting 2.3 million New Yorkers.
• Resource Council of Western New YorkprogramGTM or Marketing PartnerHost site for Midnight Basketball League programming at East Ferry Street location.
• Frank E Merriweather Jr LibraryprogramGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner hosting Reentry Listening Sessions at 1324 Jefferson Ave location.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ACLU of Western New York: Regional civil liberties affiliate working on criminal legal reform, voting rights, and racial justice in the same Buffalo/Western New York geography as VOICE Buffalo. Most direct peer on overlapping issues.
• Center for Community Alternatives: New York-based nonprofit providing reentry support, advocacy for the formerly incarcerated, and alternatives to incarceration — directly comparable to VOICE Buffalo's Healing Circles, Free Our Comrades, and Street Certified programs.
• NAACP Buffalo Branch: Local NAACP chapter pursuing racial justice, voting rights, and criminal legal reform in the Buffalo region — directly overlapping with VOICE Buffalo's mission and voter engagement / Clean Slate advocacy.
• Communities Not Cages: New York State coalition in which VOICE Buffalo is a partner, focused on decarceration, prosecutor accountability, and impacted community power-building. Most direct comparable coalition partner.
• Buffalo Urban League: Buffalo-based civil rights and human services organization and past corporate sponsor of VOICE Buffalo. Comparable racial equity mission and overlapping programming for youth and returning citizens in the same region.
• Partnership for the Public Good: Buffalo-based community research and policy advocacy organization that is also a coalition partner of VOICE Buffalo. Comparable community organizing, civic engagement, and policy advocacy mission in the same geography.
• Open Buffalo: Buffalo-based racial and economic justice organizing network running campaigns on similar criminal legal reform, youth empowerment, and civic participation issues as VOICE Buffalo. Directly comparable mission and geography.
• Clean Slate NY: Statewide coalition behind the Clean Slate Act (signed Nov 2023), of which VOICE Buffalo is a member. Directly comparable policy advocacy coalition on criminal record sealing.

Broad incumbents

• Vera Institute of Justice: National research and advocacy organization working on criminal legal reform, reentry, and community-based alternatives — directly comparable to VOICE Buffalo's criminal justice reform mission but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Equal Justice Initiative: Nationally recognized racial justice and criminal legal reform organization working on wrongful conviction advocacy and reentry — comparable to VOICE Buffalo's Free Our Comrades program but operating at national scale with substantially larger resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VoiceBuffalo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@voicebuffalo
• Facebookfacebook.com/voicebuffalo
• Instagraminstagram.com/voicebuffalo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/voice-buffalo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VOICE Buffalo